My Classic Car: Don’s 1937 Ford

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Don's then-girlriend's father won the car in a raffle | Don Zeilstra photos
Don’s then-girlriend’s father won the car in a raffle | Don Zeilstra photos

It was my first car. This was a great car to have in high school. I bought it from the father of the girl I was going with at the time. He had won the car.

The view through the windshield
The view through the windshield

This ’37 Ford was offered at the local carnival in Brookfield, Illinois in 1937. My girl’s father bought one raffle ticket for 25 cents. And he won the drawing and car!

When World War II broke out in 1941, he put the Ford up on blocks in the garage for the duration. I purchased the beauty in 1950.

The Ford had 23,000 miles on it. I think I paid $275 for it.

DSC00369Being mechanically minded, he had made an oil filter and stuffed it with rags. A very sloppy process to change.

Looking like new, I was constantly asked if this was a foreign car or what.

Unfortunately I had to sell this special Ford when I was drafted in 1956. I believe I sold it for what I paid for it and got to drive it for 5 years.

I’ll never forget my first car.

— Don Zeilstra, Pinehurst NC

1 COMMENT

  1. When in college, I enjoyed my 1936 Ford five window coupe with no back seat. Paid seventy-five dollars for it. It burned a lot of 40 weight re-refined oil for about twenty-five cents a quart. Sold the car for fifty dollars when I got drafted a year lateer.

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